Drive arrangement for truck mixers



Feb. 16, 1954' c. GERST 2,669,131

DRIVE ARRANGEMENT FOR TRUCK MIXERS Filed March 6, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

'F a CHRIS BERST Feb. 16, 1954 R 2,669,131

DRIVE ARRANGEMENT FOR TRUCK MIXERS Filed March 6, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. CHE/S BE'RST BY 3 a arr.

Feb. 16, 1954 c. GERST 2,669,131

DRIVE ARRANGEMENT FOR TRUCK MIXERS Filed March 6, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet s IN V EN TOR.

CHRIS EERST BY 5ND. 62' f arr.

Feb. 16, 1954 Q s 2,669,131

DRIVE ARRANGEMENT FOR TRUCK MIXERS Filed March 6, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. j CHRIS ssasr Patented Feb. 16, 1954 DRIYEJARRANGEMENT EOR'ITRUCKE MIXERS Chris Gersjt, Detroit, Mich'.,. assignor, bye mesne assignments, to Le -Roi Company, Milwaukee, Wis; a corporation of wisconsin Application March 6, 195flrSerialNo.147 861 6"C1aimS.": (Chill-730),

1 h s mrentie r l tea Etc-v h cles. supn r s n individ l, v rptl lfydevices. driven. by, individual,

. ppWenr-u ts;and is particularly useful when in:

corporat in thedrivearrangement for the mix xg 'drmns of concrete mixers; suchvas. truck In;these-,concreteemixers the mixing. dr I is; customarily drivenr by individual powe transm s n system-emb dy a p y transmission directlycoupledwith ,an engine and. M transmission-coupled withthepri-r trans lesion and, the mixing; drum,. y largehgear:attached to .the mixing. andmeshing aipinion mountedton theoout-e put shait--,of;;the; secondarytransmissiom Such arr neementsnecessitateuse of, engines capable. ufllcient torquetoefiectstarting rotation-oi the mixingdr-umandreversing of its rotation though continuous, rotation. of the,.- ;.mf drum could-,be--efiectedwith much smal en as;

The primary object-.of the invention is the. pr@ri .en;,-: of; a. torque converter type 11173118111181 sign system; embodying. a; torque converter aranged t' 'LbG dj-IBGtIY: coupled withthe. engine, the torque converter permitting starting,driving. and reversing 0ft the; mixing .drum by .an engine-producing sufficienttorqueto efiect continu- 0115 otation oi the -.mixing; dr.um .but insufiicient torqueto eiff starting or reversing of the rota:v cn of 'asucnmix n d An ther: b ect oi. t e nvention. is the. provi-. sion ot-a;torqueeonverter-transmission embody,- ina arltqr ue onv mr arranged. at the input sid fi;-.the;r -trans mission to permit. positioning of ,the. torque converter adjacent touthe, .fly .wheelof. an;- engineior. direct. drive connection of,v the cone, veri r-pump with such fiywheel.

Another, object 1 of the invention the. com; bination of atorque, converter transmission with. a flconcrete mixer .drive arrangement. in, which a transmission isuniversally .coupled. -,with the rotatablysupportedmixing drum. of, the .mixerand yieldingly coupled with the. torque converter: transmission. to permit starting driving and reversing ot theemixing drum by van. engine or suilicient. power to, continuously rotate thetmix: ing,;drum. butof .insufilcient power to effect start: ingpr reversing of the mixin drum.

Still. another object ,of the, v invention .is the cqlnhination; 10f torque converter. transmissions with concrete mixer arrangements on truck mix-. erslfor decreasingsize andrweight of the power. means drivingithe. mixing. drums, permitting .in, creese oihthe pay loads (and. reducing the con-1 FWQfiORi rosters-well; as-the. operating expense.

A further. objeotof the. invention is the provision of: a ,multispeed torque, converter trans.- mission lior concretemixers of the type referred tovabove inwhichthe transmission includes reversing' clutches-for eiiectingselective.forward or.reversezrotationof.the mixing drum of these mixers, the clutches being, arrangedoutside of the-housing. of-the transmission to facilitate and simplify-adjustment,. service and repair of such clutches,

Still ,furtherobjectsand .novel features of construction, combination relationof parts by which the objects. in view have beenv attained,

will appear and are .set forth in detail. in the course of the following-specification..

Thedrawings accompanyingand forming part of the specification illustrate certain practical embodimentsoithe invention, but it .will be ape parent as the specification proceeds that the structure may be modified and. changed in. various ,ways. without departure from .the true spirit and broad scope of the invention.

In-the drawings:

Fi ,1, ism-aside View. of a. concrete mixer arrangementioratruck mixer. showing the generaldrivearrangement .andmounting of its mixed lnm.

Fig. .,.2 is' an..end.,viewof thekstructure shown inF Q I 3.. is .a frontview. otthe torque converter transmission used Ito drive the. mixing drum of the structure shown inFig-s. 1 and 2;

Fig 4. is a sectional'view on line 4"' l"of Fig;

' Fig. 5 isoa di grammaticalshowing of the gear layout of. the torque converter transmission; and

Fi -,..6iis" a sectional .view through the secondary transmission which is universallycoupled with the mixing .drum and yieldingly coupled mixer, whichir'ame freely -rotatably supports" the rear end. 310i mixing drum 4 driven and partlysupportedyby adrive arrangement 5 embodying .a ,motor unit .6, "a primary torque converter. transmission Tiand a secondary trans.- mission 8,i which latter is coupled with the mixing drums! and supports the front end thereof in,.a..manner laterto be described and claimed indetailinv my copending application. Serial No;

252,825,, filedon the24=tl1",day of, October, 1951.

Themprimary torque converter transmission 7 in a tubular drive shaft 22 axially aligned with shaft 29 and formed with a double gear 23 including a spur gear 24 and a ring gear 25. The tubular shaft 22 is internally splined for coupling same with the torque converter I2, as will be later described, and is rotatably mounted in a ball bearing 21 arranged in a bore 28 in end Wall 29 of main housing 9.

Shaft 29 is splined and supports slidably and non-rotatably a shiftable double gear 39 which includes a small spur gear 3| adapted to engage with the ring gear 25 of tubular drive shaft 22 and a large spur gear 32 adapted to engage a small gear 33 on a countershaft 34 When double gear 39 is shifted on shaft 29 in one or the other direction by gear shifting lever 35 as commonly practiced and not described in detail. The countershaft 34 which is pivotally mounted in ball bearings 36 and 31 mounts at its inner end portion a spur gear 38 continuously meshing spur gear 24 on tubular shaft 22 so that this latter shaft and countershaft 34 are rotated in opposite directions with respect to each other.

Shaft 29, at its end portion 39 adjacent to ball bearing I9, includes a drive pinion 40 meshing a large gear M on an outwardly extended shaft 42 which has its inner end rotatably mounted in a ball bearing 43. Shaft 42 extends through main housing 9 into the clutch housing portion I5 and mounts on its splined portion 44 the backing plate structure 45 of a clutch 49 having a cup-shaped housing 41 secured by bolts 48 to a tubular shaft 49 rotatably mounted in ball bearings 59 and 5I. This tubular shaft which is formed with gear teeth 52 has axially extended through its axial bore 53 the shaft 42 and rotatably supports the middle portion 54 of such shaft by a ball bearing 55. The shaft 42 shiftably and non-rotatably supports on its splined end portion 56 an operating collar member 51 cooperating with dual lever members '58 in effecting clutching and releasing actions of clutch 49. The tubular shaft 49 has its gear teeth 52 in mesh with a large gear 59 mounted on a splined countershaft 60 which is rotatably mounted in ball bearings GI, 92.

Gear 4| as shown in the diagrammatic view of the gear layout (Fig. 5) additionally meshes a gear 63 mounted on an outwardly extended shaft 64 which extends into housing portion I6 and supports a clutch 65 (see Fig. 3) constructed similar to clutch 49 and, therefore, not described in detail. This clutch has its tubular toothed shaft 59 arranged in mesh with large gear 59 on countershaft 69 to permit by selective operation of either one of the two clutches 46 or 95 direct control of rotation of gear 59 in one or the other direction. Such a selective operation of clutches 46 and 95 is effected by a dual clutch lever member 61 (see Fig. 3) mounted on a rod 68 which is pivotally supported in bosses 99 and 10. Rod 58 when axially rotated in one or the other direction by a lever arm 1I effects rocking of dual clutch lever member 51 and therewith selective operation of the clutches. To that effect dual clutch lever member 61 includes oppositely extended fork-shaped levers 12 and I3 engaging the operating collar members 51 and 14 of clutches 45 and 95, respectively. Lever arm 1i additionally is coupled with a brake controlling unit 15 constructed to effect in clutch shifting operation braking of clutch structure 65 by a brake band 18 as customary, and, therefore, not specifically described.

The countershaft 69 extends into housing portion I4 and carries at its extended end a bevel pinion I9 meshing a bevel gear 89 on output shaft I5 which is rotatably mounted in ball bearings 82 and 83.

The tubular drive shaft 22, as previously stated,

- is extended into housing portion II through bore 26 in end wall 29 of housing 9 and includes an internally splined end portion 84 sleeved upon a splined tubular extension on torque converter I2 to properly couple such converter with the forward and reverse drive arrangement ID. This torque converter embodies a shaft 89 rotatably mounted in the converter housing portion II and including at the front portion a coupling member 81 adapted to connect shaft 99 With the engine or motor 6. Converter I2 embodies a converter pump 88, a turbine 89 which has attached thereto the splined tubular extension 85, and a reaction member 9I receiving the oil from the turbine and directing such oil back into a pump 92 connected with the converter housing portion II by tubes 93 and 94. Converter pump 99 is directly coupled with shaft 99, the inner end portion 95 of which is in driving connection with a pump shaft 96 extended through the axial bore 2I in shaft 29.

The countershaft 34 is directly coupled with a shaft 91 which is axially aligned with shaft 34 and extended outside of main housing 9. Shaft 91 drives a power take-off pulley 98 forming part of a clutch 99 which is mounted on shaft 91 and when actuated by operating mechanism I00 effects rotation of pulley 98.

The secondary transmission 9 embodies a housing IIlI having integrally extended therefrom a base plate I02 supporting said housing in angular relation with respect to said base plate. Housing IIlI has arranged therein a transmission I93 including a small spur gear I94 and a large spur I gear I95 engaged with and driven by gear I04.

This latter gear is mounted on a splined shaft I06 mounted in ball bearing I91 and I98 and extended outwardly for coupling with the output shaft I5 of primary transmission 1 by a universal joint coupling 599. The large gear I95 is mounted on the splined portion I19 of a shaft I II having an axial bore H2 which shaft is mounted in roller bearings H3 and IE4 and extended outwardly from housing IiiI for coupling the exposed end portion I I5 of said shaft with the front wall II5 of mixing drum 4 by means of a universal joint coupling I I1. For such purpose end portion H5 of shaft III is formed with a flange IIB mounting a ring-shaped coupling member I I9 attached thereto. The coupling member H9 in-- cludes a peripheral flange I29 with a spherical outer surface I2I and drive slots I22 interrupting said surface and slidably guiding the flattened heads I23 of rigidly arranged drive pins I24 axially-rotatably mounted in bores I25 of a guide ring I29 which is attached to a reinforcing ring I21 in turn welded to the front wall I I5 of mixing drum 4 in concentric relation with respect to its roomer;

1engitudinal:raxis..- -GuideringlIZG:isicattacheditors. reinforcing ring. .I 2:1::by'.bolts--I 2 Biand has itsinnerr surface; shaped.- sphericall to permit:' universal;- movement .-.of coupling member I I9 Fl'IlISald guide; ring;

Shaft :I II which; as stated above,is,;universally couplediwith and supports the front portion. of? mixingidrum 4;provides awater passage for dispensing-mixing and cleaning water into said ing:--drum'.-. Thus.- shaft .III, the inner.- endlzofi which: is sealed againstthe frontwall. I. I 6-, of ithe. mixing; drum .by a: rubber gasket;.l29: forced; against said wall by aspiring-pressed, .flangedc ringimember-I3Il;,=. includes at one end a, water inlet cap I3I attached to housing IIII opposite its circularopening I32 in axial alignment with shaft III. 'Ihisrcapjnclude a chamber I33 one wall of which is formed by a water seal arrange: ment embodying a rotary seal. I35 and a,StatiI1-. ary lpart I36 .cooperating witha spring-pressed sealing ring I.3'Ion a diaphragm I38. Chamber I3.3;communicates directly with bore I IZLand'inlet, passage I39 of inlet cap ISI. The other end ofbore, II2 .is enlarged to forma chamber. I451 which .mounts a water discharge device I41 adapted to discharge water under pressure directly from bore I I2 into mixing drum 4 provided for such purpose with an axially-arranged circular opening I42 in front wall I I5.

Water discharge device MI is mounted on a ring member I43 attached to shaft III by screw members I44, which ring member is bridged by a cross piece I45 having a threaded bore I46. Ring member I43 mounts on its ring portion I48 a cup shaped member Its including a sponge rubber lining I50, which member is open at its bottom and provided with inner and outer circular flanges I5I and I52. The inner flange I5I has its one face fluid-tightly sealed to ring portion I48 by a rubber gasket I53 and has fluidtightly secured to the other face the one end portion of a, cylindrically-shaped diaphragm I55, the other end portion I56 of which is fluid-tightly attached to the outer flange I52 of cup-shaped member I49 and covers the sponge rubber lining I50 of said member.

Diaphragm I55 has adjustably extended thereinto a cup-shaped member I5'I which includes a sponge rubber ring I58 engaged with the inside face of cylindrica1 diaphragm I55. This cupshaped member is adjustably secured to cross piece I45 by a bolt I59 threadedly extended into the bore I46 of said cross piece.

The water discharge device I4I permits feeding of water from a tank I60 into mixing drum 4 when such water is forced under pressure into the bore I I2 of shaft I I I as water under pressure actuates diaphragm I55 to compress the sponge rubber lining I50 and thus provides a ring-shaped opening through which water is sprayed into the mixing drum. Water under pressure is fed into bore II2 of shaft III by a centrifugal pump I6I driven by a belt drive I62 from power take-off pulley 98. This pump has an intake coupled by a valve-controlled pipe I33 with tank I60 and an outlet coupled by a pipe I64 with the inlet passage I39 of inlet cap I3 I.

In operation, when a drive arrangement such as described above is coupled with an engine and the mixing drum of concrete mixer, the engine rotates converter pump 83 which then forces oil into turbine 89 discharging such oil to reaction member 9| and hence back into converter pump 88 by pump 92. Reaction member III is mounted on a free wheel unit constructed to be locked in stationary/position during pBI iOdS Of- ItOIIQHEJ iHs-IL crease anctto. -.be. free wheeling; when torque ins crease; is. not grequiredl This .-arrangement .per mits. as maximum output torque-of the. converter-.- whichoutputjis a. multiple of the input torques andith'erebypermits'starting and reversing efthe-u. drivezarrangement: and mixing drum by engines 1-.- developinga torque sufficient to effect continuous. driving: ofg'the; drive. arrangement and mixing: drumxbutpa insufficient: to.-. start: or reverse I such;- drive sanrangementand. mixing drum.

Having. thus, describedv my invention ,1. what: I 1:; C aim is;:;.

1'; transmission embodying a. housing, at

.;torquerconyerter arranged in. saidhousing-in-l.

luiiingransinput shaft, a tubular. output shafts. and a converter pumpdirectly coupled withnand t drivem-by saiddnpnt shaft, multirspeed -.reversib1e gearing including a tubular main shaft :coupled':

with-:the tubular. output shaft of said torque cone.

verter;-.- the inputand output shafts of said torque: converter andthe tubular shaft of said gear. ing. being." axially aligned, the input. shaftofa, thatorqueconverter extending freely. rotatably.

through. said tubular shafts and thehousing to;

expose the. opposite. ends of such inputsh'aftoute side ofxsuchahousing.

2.2 Aztransmission including .a housing,a torque: converter in said housing at one end thereof, an input shaft coupled with said torque converter and extended outsid of said housing through a wall adjacent to the end of said housing, and a tubular output shaft having said input shaft freely rotatably extended therethrough, shiftable multi-speed gearing in said housing including a main shaft aligned with the output shaft of said torque converter and coupled therewith, clutch controlled reversible gearing geared to said main shaft of said multi-speed gearing and including two parallelly arranged clutches embodying driven elements continuously geared to each other for rotation in opposite directions with respect to each other when either one of said clutches is actuated, a countershaft mounting a large gear meshing the said driven elements of the said clutches and output shaft means coupled with and driven by said countershaft.

'3. A transmission including a housing, a torque converter in said housing, an input shaft coupled with said torque converter and extended outside of said housing into a wall thereof and a tubular output shaft having said input shaft freely rotatably extended therethrough, shiftable multispeed gearing in said housing including a tubular main shaft aligned with the output shaft of said torque converter, and clutch controlled reversible gearing geared to the main shaft of said multi-speed gearing, said clutch controlled gearing' including two parallelly arranged shafts, two clutch structures mounted on said shafts and gear means continuously engaged with said driven elements of the clutch structures to effect their rotation in opposite directions with respect to each other, actuating mechanism for selectively actuating either one of the clutch structures while inactivating the other one thereof, brake means for one of said clutch structures adapted to arrest rotation of said one clutch structure, and control means for the said brake means coupled with the actuating mechanism for said clutch structures to efiect coordinated action of the brake means and the actuating mechanism for the clutch structures.

4. A transmission including a housing, a torque converter in said housing embodying a converter pump, an input shaft axially extended through said converter pump, said input shaft coupled with said pump and extended through said housing outside thereof, an output shaft for said torque converter, shiftable, multi-speed gearing in said housing including a main shaft aligned and coupled with the output shaft of said torque converter, clutch controlled, reversible gearing continuously coupled with the main shaft of said multi-speed gearing, and including two parallelly arranged shafts journaled in said hous and extended outside thereof and geared to each other and clutch means mounted on the outwardly extended portions of the said two shafts, a countershaft geared to said two shafts, and output shaft means journaled in said housin and geared to said countershaft.

5. A transmission including a housing, a torque converter in said housing, an input shaft extended into said housing through a wall thereof and directly coupled with said torque converter and extended therethrough, an output shaft for said converter, shiftable, multi-speed gearing in said housing including a main shaft aligned and coupled with the output shaft of said torque converter, clutch controlled reversible gearing coupled with said multi-speed gearing and including two parallelly arranged, outwardly extended shafts geared to each other for rotation in oppo sit directions and clutch means mounted on the outwardly extended portions of said shafts, bevel gearing continuously coupled with said clutch means, and output shaft means driven by said bevel gearing and extended outside of said housing in angular relation to the said input shaft.

6. A transmission as described in claim 5 wherein said multi-speed gearing includes a countershaft and a clutch-controlled power take-oflz' mounted on said housing outside thereof and including a shaft axially aligned and directly coupled with said countershaft.

CHRIS GERST.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,029,126 Rybeck Jan. 28, 1936 2,171,715 Sinclair Sept. 5, 1939 2,344,656 Swennes Mar. 21, 1944 2,413,488 Draeger Dec. 31, 1946 2,435,930 Schjolin Feb. 10, 1948 2,443,313 Gerst June 15, 1948 2,512,856 Fisk June 27, 1950 2,536,737 Gerst Jan, 2, 1951 

